Middle East: Israel's Supply Line

If the U.S. were to take the highly improbable step of suspending all
military and economic aid to Israel, the cutoff would sap Israel's
military strength, but only in the future. Thanks to past American
generosity, Israel has enough made-in-U.S.A. weapons to maintain its
siege of Beirut almost indefinitely.

Since Israel became a country in 1948, the U.S. has given $14.9
billion in military aid. About a third has been in the form of outright
grants, the rest in loans that must be repaid within 30 years. Israel's
formidable fighting machine includes an air...